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Introduction

This solution accelerator provides proven tools and practices that enable IT professionals to:

Create a software and hardware inventory to assist in deployment planning.

Test applications for compatibility and mitigate the compatibility issues discovered during the process.

Set up an initial lab environment with deployment and imaging servers.

Customize and package applications.

Automate desktop image creation and deployment.

Ensure that the desktop is hardened to improve security within the environment.

Manage processes and technologies to produce a comprehensive and integrated deployment.

The Solution Accelerator for BDD contains guidance, sample templates, and technology files (such as scripts and configuration files). It presents deployment guidance as feature team guides that thoroughly explain each deployment process. The guidance in BDD is structured according to the feature teams and processes described in Figure 1.

What's New in BDD 2007

Many changes have been made for Windows Vista to significantly ease deployment, including new out-of-the-box imaging technologies, XML-based migration scripts, new tools for image engineering (ImageX and System Image Manager), and new unattend XML format. Another huge breakthrough with Windows Vista is Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) independence and language neutrality; this means that organizations can get to a minimal number of standard images without major efforts to consolidate hardware.

As with any advancement in technologies, getting the maximum benefit requires understanding the tools and technologies. BDD 2007 provides the depth of guidance and tooling to make the Windows Vista and 2007 Office system deployment process predictable and scalable. Many of the tools and guides within BDD 2007 can even be used throughout the desktop management life cycle to provision new users, maintain images, and centrally manage drivers and applications.

BDD 2007 also introduces the new Deployment Workbench, which enables users to build and manage multiple OS configurations, define network deployment points and network shares, inject drivers, attach language packs, and chain applications. It even helps generate ISO and WIM images using Windows PE that can be deployed in a networked environment or using DVDs offline. BDD 2007 also alleviates much of the scripting requirements of previous BDD versions by incorporating a stand-alone task sequencer derived from System Center Configuration Manager 2007. BDD continues to offer the flexibility for Zero Touch Installation with Systems Management Server 2003 and Lite Touch Installation with minimal infrastructure requirements.

Why Is There No Longer a Standard and Enterprise Edition?

The Standard and Enterprise editions of BDD 2.0 and BDD 2.5 were intended to focus on mid-market and enterprise organizations respectively. BDD Standard Edition focused on Lite Touch deployment with minimal network and management infrastructure requirements. BDD Enterprise Edition focused on Zero Touch deployment, with SMS 2003 and the SMS 2003 Operating System Deployment Feature Pack. The tools used to plan and prepare for Lite Touch and Zero Touch deployments have merged into a single, common guidance framework and toolset for BDD 2007.

BDD 2007 allows the organization to choose between Zero Touch and Lite Touch methodologies. Smaller organizations can benefit by using BDD 2007 guidance and tools, especially for imaging and Lite Touch deployment. Large organizations with several hundred or several thousand users can benefit from the comprehensive set of guides, templates, job aids, and tools included in BDD 2007 to enable Zero Touch Installation with SMS 2003 and improve ongoing desktop image management.

The following table shows the criteria for deciding which edition to use.

Lite Touch Installation (LTI)

Zero Touch Installation (ZTI) with SMS 2003

Customer Profile

Any customer with 25 PCs or more and without SMS 2003 in place for Zero Touch Installation. LTI may also be used when SMS 2003 is in place, but deployment is performed to unmanaged, disconnected, or low bandwidth-connected PCs.

Any customer with SMS 2003 in place and managing the PCs targeted for deployment.

Previous versions of the Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) are still available for download, but we urge new users to take advantage of the new content and technology available in the BDD 2007

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The TechNet Script CenterGet one-stop shopping for system administrators wanting to manage their Windows computers by using Microsoft's scripting technologies, including desktop management scripts that can be found in the Script Repository.